Constant as the Stars Above
by DatHeetJoella
Summary: After the hurtful words that Hiyori said to Haruka after the backstroke race, Haruka and Makoto have a heart-to-heart. - A MakoHaru fic that takes place between episode 4 and 5 of Free! Dive to the Future


**A/N: I was a little disappointed that we didn't see what happened immediately after Hiyori left the building, so I jokingly said that I'd have to take it upon myself to fill in that blank. But then I actually started to think about it and before I knew it I was writing this fic, so it was kind of on a whim in less than a week, but I hope that you'll enjoy it nonetheless.**

 **Turns out that I wasn't the only one who had this thought since I've seen some others writing similar fics, I hadn't actually expected otherwise haha, but this is my take on it. I don't actually think that this is what happened in canon, but this is how I like to envision it so I hope you'll like it too.**

 **The only other thing is that while I usually refer to every character by their first name, in this case Hiyori is referred to by his last name Tono because that's how Haru and Makoto know him and they're not exactly on that first name basis yet haha.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

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The dull clunks of the cans hitting the bottom of the vending machine filled up the silent night and Makoto bent down to collect them. Although the streets of Tokyo were often hectic and would continue to be so even after the sun had sunken completely beneath the horizon, this little park was surprisingly quiet, with only the sound of cicadas and the faint buzzing of the vending machine disturbing the tranquility.

After the events of the past day, that tranquility was greatly appreciated so Makoto could gather his thoughts a bit in peace.

Earlier, he had swum a race against Tono Hiyori to prove that Haruka, Asahi and he deserved to get the chance to talk to Ikuya again. Despite having practiced for it, he had lost, but only by a little and he was content. Proud, even. He had properly stood his ground against someone who was still training regularly and he could feel the passion that Tono emitted being conveyed through the water. For a moment after their close finish, Makoto felt like he understood him; they both had someone they wanted to swim for, someone they wanted to protect.

But then Tono scoffed at them and told them that regardless of all of Makoto's effort, his mind hadn't been changed and he was steadfast about his belief that they didn't deserve to see Ikuya. That agitated Asahi and Kisumi had to calm him down, and despite Tono acknowledging his effort by telling them something they hadn't known about Ikuya's past, of what happened to him after he left and moved to America, Makoto thought it wasn't fair. Even though he understood better than anyone else that Tono wanted to protect Ikuya, especially after everything that had happened to him, he just felt like this wasn't Tono's call to make.

And instead of taking this opportunity to realise that they had more in common than might seem at first glance and that all they wanted was to make things right with Ikuya because they knew they were in the wrong, Tono took it a step further. He made it personal and attacked Haruka. He hit him where he knew it would hurt before he turned around and simply walked away, like he didn't just tear open the wounds that had barely healed on Haruka's heart and poured a nice amount of salt in them on top of that for no other reason than to inflict pain.

" _Everyone who swims with you ends up suffering somehow, huh?_ "

That was when he officially crossed the line.

But at that moment, Makoto couldn't afford to waste any more time or effort on someone like him. Because Haruka was his first priority. The feeling that welled up in Makoto's gut was one that resembled the discomfort and concern that he felt at the start of their second year of high school and it left a disgusting taste in his mouth. Judging by the look on Haruka's face after Tono said that to him, he was reminded of it too and Makoto wanted to whisk that pain away before it could consume him a second time around.

Soon after that, Kisumi and Asahi politely excused themselves and muttered quick goodbyes before they left the pool as well. The heavy atmosphere was palpable and Kisumi had probably noticed that Haruka and Makoto needed to have some time alone so they could talk and therefore he had dragged Asahi away with him. Makoto was grateful for that, because he knew Haruka wouldn't have wanted to talk about things like this if they were still there, so he would have to make sure to thank them later.

Because he understood that Haruka would need some time and solitude first, the silence that Tono left behind lingered as Makoto got changed, forgoing a shower so they could leave as soon as possible.

When the two of them walked through the exit, Makoto asked if he could stay over tonight and Haruka had easily agreed. Even though he had a pretty early class the next morning, Makoto really didn't want to leave Haruka alone at this moment and he knew that even if he wouldn't say anything, Haruka didn't want to be alone either. The nights in the big city could be very lonely, especially at times like these, so Makoto knew he just had to be there for Haruka right then.

During the walk home, the serenity that hung in the air surrounding this park had caught Makoto's attention and he had offered to take a break here before they went back home. This seemed like the right place to talk a little before they arrived at Haruka's apartment, that could be cramped and suffocating when the weight of heavy yet meaningful words filled up every last corner of the room. Haruka understood his reasoning without him having said anything aloud, so he complied and sat down on one of the wooden benches surrounding the pond while Makoto went to get them some drinks.

That was where he was still seated when Makoto came back, head hung low as he stared at his folded hands.

"Here," Makoto murmured as he offered Haruka one of the cans, smiling gently at him.

"Thanks," he replied with a small smile that didn't quite reach his everblue eyes, yet that didn't take away the sincerity in his voice as he accepted the can, opened it and took a large gulp.

Makoto took place beside him on the bench, their thighs only a whisper away as they stared off into the distance and quietly sipped their drinks, comforted solely by the other's presence. There was no real need for conversation, there never really was, but that didn't mean that the words weren't burning on the tip of Makoto's tongue, a fierce urge to console Haruka even if he didn't seem particularly upset to the outside world. But Makoto knew him better than anyone else and he knew that Tono's words had affected Haruka more than he wanted to show, even to him.

It was to protect him, Makoto understood that, because he feared that he would only cause Makoto to suffer too if he shared his burden. But that was what Makoto was here for: to shoulder Haruka's problems with him if carrying them alone became too much to handle. That was what their relationship was always supposed to be like; they had struggled with it in the past which was the cause of their very first fight, and Makoto had learned that it was important to talk about things that mattered to them even if it might cause some pain on either end. Because if one of them was hurting, the other was by default too so they might as well talk things over instead of both suffering in silence.

"Hey Haru," Makoto called softly to get Haruka's attention.

Upon hearing his name Haruka looked up to meet Makoto's gaze. His beautiful features were illuminated clearly by the streetlights and the faint moonlight that shone down upon them and the gentle smile that adorned his face brought solace to Haruka's bruised and beaten-up heart. "What?"

"Do you remember that night, back in middle school, when I took you to the swim club and we swam with our clothes on?"

Haruka nodded slightly as warmth briefly emerged in his chest at the memory of that night. How could he ever forget a night as special as that one? Not only had it been meaningful, it had also opened Haruka's eyes to the truth that had resided in his soul since day one, yet that he had been too blind to see up until that point. No matter where life might take him, those memories would stay with him forevermore.

Makoto's smile softened at that confirmation, his pretty green irises twinkling with fondness when he asked, "Do you remember what I said to you that night?"

"Of course," Haruka breathed, smiling a little to himself as he stared down at his lap again, because those words were branded in his eardrums the moment they left Makoto's lips and he could still hear them resonating through his head, even now.

" _I love swimming and I love Haru-chan, so I want to swim with you._ "

The radiant smile that beamed off Makoto's face had warmed Haruka to his very core and it made him realise that despite never having thought of things that way, that sentiment was true for him too. He loved swimming and he loved Makoto, so he wanted to swim with him. But no matter how brightly he felt that inside of him, he was too perplexed and overwhelmed by the whole situation to say it back. All he could get past the lump in his throat was his usual habit of telling Makoto to drop the "-chan", before he added " _And… Of course we'll swim together_ " as an afterthought in the need to return those feelings, yet being incapable of uttering it out loud. That only made Makoto's smile larger because even if he hadn't said it, Makoto easily caught the underlying meaning in his voice.

"I still mean it, you know?"

Those words abruptly pulled Haruka from his reminiscence, looking up from how his thumbs were rubbing along the rim of the can to meet Makoto's eyes once more.

"I love swimming and I love you, so I want to swim together with you."

Haruka's eyes widened in surprise at how serious Makoto's tone was and although he had heard those words before, they somehow made his heart beat even faster than they did back then. "Makoto…"

Despite his serious tone, Makoto's smile was unwavering and remained there even as he took a deep breath before he continued speaking. "I asked you to join the swim club with me back when we were kids because I wanted to overcome my fear for the water, and I felt more secure having you there with me. It was silly, but I thought that if you were there, you could protect me so I wouldn't have to be scared anymore. But that's not the only reason I asked you to join with me. It was also because I thought, " _getting to swim with Haru-chan every day is going to be so much fun!_ " and I was right."

Haruka's hands tightened around the can because he knew where Makoto was going with this, and it was too much. His chest constricted and it felt like he couldn't breathe, yet he couldn't tear his gaze away from Makoto and break their eye-contact; there was something mesmerising gleaming in Makoto's eyes that held him captive so that he would absorb every single word that Makoto would tell him.

"Swimming with you all these years has been so much fun, I can't even explain it," he said earnestly and the smile of nostalgia and remembrance was evident not just on his face, but in his tone as well. "We've made friends together, swam relays together, won together, lost together, and I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on any of it. And even now, when we're just swimming some laps before class starts, I'm having so much fun. Because I enjoy myself thoroughly when swimming beside you, Haru, and I know I'm not the only one. Nagisa and Rei, Rin and Asahi, and even Ikuya, we've all loved swimming together with you. You're a valuable member of our teams, an irreplaceable part and we never could have done any of it without you."

The darkest parts of Haruka's mind, the ones that bore the oldest and deepest wounds, didn't want to believe Makoto's words. They told him that he was just saying it to comfort him, not because he actually meant them. But Haruka knew that those voices inside him were lying because Makoto would never say something he didn't mean; even at their lowest moment, he had said something similar to him.

" _Nagisa, and Rei, and Rin, and me… It's because we all love you. Because we care about you._ "

His throat was dry but his hands were shaking too much to take a gulp of his drink, so he just bit his bottom lip as he listened to the words he knew he needed to hear.

Makoto placed his large hand over his trembling ones, skin clammy from holding onto the cold drink yet his touch was only filled with the warmth of support. "Haru, what Tono-kun said to you, it's not true," he declared, sounding almost like he was pleading to him, begging for him to listen and take his words to heart. "It's true that some of our friends have suffered, but that's just part of the swimming world. There are always going to be hardships because that's part of the competition. It's not _your_ fault. Everyone is aiming to be the best, yet in the end there can only be one winner. And there can't be winners without losers and even though it's sad because the others worked hard too, that's just what swimming is like. That's what any sport or competition is like. But that doesn't mean that their sadness is your fault just because you beat them. You're not to blame for winning, that's what everyone wants. It just proves that at that point, you're faster than them and you earned it because you trained very hard too."

Makoto was right. Although he had already worked out the situation with Rin, when things like this came up he couldn't help but be reminded of how Rin cried that winter day, how he claimed that he was quitting swimming after losing their race, and the aching resurfaced. By now he knew that Rin was over it and was training hard in Australia to beat him, but thinking of what happened that day still stung a little nonetheless. But he knew that it was obvious that there could only be one winner, and it was going to be him. That was what he was practicing hard for too, to achieve his goals and stand on the world stadium. Hopefully next to Rin, but with the gold medal hanging around his own neck.

Before Haruka had the chance to say something, Makoto rambled on, "And yes, you did break your promise to Ikuya, but so did Asahi and I. That was wrong of us, but sometimes things just happen, things that we didn't expect and couldn't have foreseen or events that unfolded differently from how we planned they would. That's no excuse though, but what matters is that we're trying to apologise. We're trying to make things right. And as long as we're not given that opportunity, then Tono-kun is to blame for Ikuya's suffering just as much. He's trying to push the blame onto you and make you feel guilty but he's the one who's preventing you from making up with Ikuya. So right now, he's the one who's causing Ikuya to suffer, not you."

Although he had been the one who was peering right into Haruka's soul, Makoto was the one who looked away first, yet his assuring grip on Haruka's hands remained.

"You know," Makoto mumbled, frowning like he was in deep thought but had trouble comprehending all of the information he had. "When I swam against Tono-kun, for a moment, I felt like I understood him. Our actions from the past have hurt Ikuya, and he clearly cares a lot about Ikuya, so I thought he was just afraid that we would hurt him again if we saw him. But then, even though we showed him just how serious we were, he still rejected us and denied us the opportunity to apologise to Ikuya and make up with him. I understand that he doesn't want Ikuya to hurt, but what he's doing just isn't making any sense."

"What do you mean?" Haruka wondered, because Makoto was talking so fast that his brain was having trouble catching up. He didn't know what Tono's reasons behind all of this were, but he'd assume there was at least _something_ because otherwise it wasn't making any sense to him either. What that something was, though, was a mystery to him because he didn't understand Tono at all. And frankly, he didn't want to understand him either.

"I mean, yes we hurt Ikuya, but that was in middle school. We were just kids," Makoto explained as he looked back at Haruka and he could see the cogs turning in his head as he tried to piece this incomprehensible puzzle together. "But we're older now. Ikuya is apparently still affected by what happened back then even if he doesn't want to admit it, so what good is it to keep us from him? We haven't seen him over these past six years except when you ran into him earlier, and if he's still suffering from it now then that means that it probably won't just disappear by itself. So wouldn't it make more sense for Tono-kun to want us to apologise to Ikuya and make up with him so he would finally stop hurting?"

"Yeah," Haruka agreed, finding that to be strange as well. If Makoto and he were in their shoes, then he knew he would want them to apologise to Makoto even if he was scared that they'd hurt him again. Because Makoto would deserve to hear their apology, especially if there was a chance that hearing it would relieve his six-year-old burden. So to him, it wasn't adding up either. "If he's still hurting either way then we might as well apologise to him in the hope that it would help."

"Exactly," Makoto concurred, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, "I understand that he doesn't want us to hurt him even more but we're adults now, so we should handle things as such. Knowing that, I think it should be worth the risk. Because the way he's shielding him from us obviously isn't working either."

Whatever Tono's reasoning may have been, that didn't take away from the fact that Haruka still felt bad about breaking his promise to Ikuya. Ever since he saw that picture of their middle school relay team in Asahi's photo album, he hadn't been able to shake the thought of it and a knot of guilt had steadily formed in his stomach, amplified by the knowledge of what happened to Ikuya afterwards. He didn't know if Ikuya almost drowning was directly connected to his broken promise, but it sure felt like it was and that only made the knot tighter.

"But Haru," Makoto resumed speaking in a much softer tone than earlier, "If there's anyone who has suffered a lot, it's you. Whenever something happens to one of our friends, you get affected more than anyone else and you end up feeling guilty for things that aren't your fault at all. I know you love and care about everyone deeply but you really need to stop feeling like you're to blame for everything that goes wrong. When there are hardships that our friends have to face, you should only be supportive and have empathy, not feel guilty for it happening when it's completely out of your control. Because in the end, blaming yourself isn't going to help anyone, it's only going to cause for you to suffer too. And you really, really don't deserve that, Haru."

"I know," Haruka mumbled under his breath as he averted his gaze again, feeling slightly called out because he knew Makoto was right. Deep down, he had already come to terms with the fact that not everything was his fault but he couldn't help the guilt that would well up whenever something bad happened to a friend that directly involved him. "I just can't help but be worried."

A light squeeze of his hand called him back to attention and that loving smile graced Makoto's features once more. "I know you do, Haru, and there's nothing wrong with worrying about your friends," he said, his gentle voice echoing through the empty park like a lullaby for the sleeping ducks, curled up in themselves and huddled close together just like them. "You just shouldn't let that worry consume you. Everyone goes through hardships sometimes because that's just what life is like, that doesn't have anything to do with you nor is it caused by swimming with you. I've been swimming with you for longer than I can remember and I've never suffered even once because of it. On the contrary: swimming with you all these years has brought me so much joy and I know that it's the same for all of our friends. Your swimming doesn't cause suffering, it spreads happiness and excitement to everyone who is there to witness it and getting to swim together with you is so wonderful; it gives me a feeling unlike any other, and I'm sure that everyone else who swims with you experiences that feeling too."

Makoto paused briefly as he looked up towards the night sky, at the stars that were barely visible through all the smog in the air, yet that Haruka knew were still shining brightly even if they couldn't see them. Recollection and bliss gleamed in Makoto's eyes, like he was feeling it now too, even if they weren't swimming but were just by each other's side.

"It might be a different feeling for everyone; for Nagisa it's enthusiasm, for Rei it's admiration, for Rin it's fire, for Asahi it's passion, for Ikuya it's aspiration… and for me, it's serenity," Makoto whispered with undiluted sincerity coating his voice as he offered Haruka another gentle smile, "It's comfort, it's familiarity, it's home. It's a special feeling that is different for everyone but is able to bring out the best in all of us. That's what swimming with you does to people, Haru. It inspires them and makes them reach for the stars."

As always, Makoto was seeing right through his heart. As always, he could read him like an open book. And as always, he knew just what to say to make him feel better.

After all these years together, that really shouldn't have been a surprise anymore, yet Haruka didn't think he could ever get used to the fact that Makoto oftentimes knew him better than he knew himself. Makoto's genuine words enveloped him like a blanket of security, they kept him warm in a tight and reassuring hold and shielded him from every poisonous arrow that the world aimed at his spirit.

As long as he had the comfort and encouragement of his most important person, the one person who had stuck by his side through every setback and hardship, the one person who he could never drive away, Haruka felt like he could handle whatever might happen in the future. Makoto had loved and supported him for almost two decades now and that would never change. No matter what. He knew him unlike any other so if Makoto said that Tono's hurtful words were a lie, then maybe they were. Maybe they were all just victims of circumstance, and it wasn't his fault.

Right now, all he could do was own up to his mistakes and try to make things right. Although that knowledge didn't take every sliver of guilt in his stomach away, it relieved his burden significantly and he was once again so grateful for Makoto's endless patience and devotion to him.

"Thank you, Makoto," Haruka murmured as he put his drink down on the bench beside himself and wrapped his arms around Makoto's neck, "for everything."

Makoto let out a small puff of air, the verbal affirmation of the sweet smile that Haruka couldn't see but that was undoubtedly stretching his cheeks. Following Haruka's example, he put his can down too so he could wholeheartedly return Haruka's hug and he wound his arms around his back, holding him tightly yet carefully against himself.

"No," Makoto whispered softly in his ear before he pressed a chaste yet infinitely loving kiss against Haruka's temple, making sure that not even the ducks could hear the words that were meant for Haruka alone, "If anything, I'm the one who should be thanking you. Without you, I never could have gotten this far, and I know it's the same for everyone else. So thank you, Haru. For everything."

Although he felt like that wasn't true considering he was actually the one who couldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for Makoto, the genuine and deep appreciation for Makoto's kindness that embraced his soul upon hearing those dedicated statements made it impossible for Haruka to go against him and argue it.

Instead, he sighed in overflowing affection as he closed his eyes and buried his face in Makoto's neck. He smelled heavily like chlorine thanks to having been submerged in the pool without rinsing himself off yet afterwards, but it wasn't at all an unpleasant fragrance to Haruka; on the contrary, in combination with Makoto's own scent, it was a sweetly familiar smell that could only ever comfort Haruka to the bottom of his heart. He nuzzled his nose against his warm skin as he tightened his hold around Makoto's neck, which automatically made Makoto hug him even closer as well.

The feeling of Makoto's strong arms winding around him with such certainty and devotion put him at ease entirely and for a moment Haruka's mind was pleasantly void of any thought other than the unconditional love that Makoto constantly emitted, the caring and commitment that he showed him day in, day out. He truly was so grateful to have Makoto by his side and he knew he couldn't have accomplished all that he had so far if it weren't for him.

Guilt lurked to capture him again when he thought about everything that Makoto had done for him and how he could never repay him, not even in a million years, but Makoto's mere presence took those ugly feelings away before they were even really there. Rationally speaking, he knew that Makoto never regarded those things as burdens or debts that Haruka owed him, but that he was simply returning all the attention and care that he received from Haruka too; their relationship was built on a mutual balance of giving and taking and it would continue to be that way forevermore, so there was no need to worry about unnecessary things like being a nuisance.

Still, that didn't take away from the fact that he was so incredibly blessed to have Makoto, that he was so lucky he was allowed to call him his, and that he would treasure all that he was and everything that he bid him for the rest of their lives.

Eventually Haruka pulled back slightly, appreciating the fact that Makoto held onto him for as long as he needed and waited until he withdrew first. He ran his hand over Makoto's cheek and slid his fingers into his silky locks as he leaned in to press a quick yet immensely loving kiss against Makoto's lips.

A sweet smile appeared on Makoto's mouth when he ended their kiss, his green eyes fluttering open and shimmering with adoration. His hand wandered up to cover Haruka's, gently stroking his thumb over his knuckles.

"It's all going to be alright," Makoto said as the flame of determination lit up in his eyes once more, "We are going to see Ikuya, and we are going to apologise to him, whether Tono-kun likes it or not. No matter how many tries it takes. Maybe we'll even get to swim with him again, and then you can make up for the broken promise by fulfilling it now instead. And then, when Tono-kun sees how much fun it really is to swim with you, he'll be forced to realise that he was wrong and apologise to you for saying what he said. And maybe then you can show him yourself what swimming with you is really like, and it will give him that feeling too."

Haruka highly doubted that last part, but those words were so typically Makoto that he couldn't help but smile as well. Trust Makoto to believe that good resided in everyone, even people like Tono, and that everyone was capable of changing and letting that goodness come to light. It was only natural when Makoto was an absolute ray of sunshine himself, and while Haruka was generally a lot more pessimistic than him, seeing how convinced he was made Haruka think that he might be right after all. It would probably take some time, but deep in his heart he really believed that everything would be okay in the end.

"Yeah," he mumbled as he leaned in again, blue holding green in an intense gaze. "Thank you, Makoto," he whispered softly against his lips before his eyes fell shut and he kissed him once more. It was just a chaste peck since even though they were alone right now, they were still in public so they toned down the displays of affection until they were back in the comfort of Haruka's apartment, yet that didn't make it any less loving. The passion lingered on his lips even after he pulled away, and he decided to break the somewhat serious ambience with a light yet truthful remark, "You smell like chlorine."

"Sorry, I'll take a shower as soon as we get home," Makoto promised with a small chuckle, "I thought you liked the smell of chlorine because it reminds you of the pool."

"It does, and it makes me want to swim. And since we can't right now, that's teasing," Haruka claimed jokingly, being unable to keep the smirk off his face because honestly, he was the one who was actually teasing right then.

Makoto snorted at that, giving Haruka's hand a light squeeze as a matching grin etched itself on his face and he countered, "Then how about we take a bath together when we get home as a compromise?"

"Deal," Haruka immediately agreed and the eagerness in his voice made Makoto laugh out loud in endearment. "No take backs!"

"Of course not," Makoto giggled, because he hadn't just offered it as a compromise, but also because he actually just wanted to cuddle with Haruka in the hot water, in the safety and intimacy of his moderately-sized bathroom. So really, it was a win-win for both of them since they both loved taking baths together for numerous reasons. "Let's finish our drinks so we can go home."

At last Haruka had to release Makoto's body entirely, but he didn't waste a second before he scooted closer to him until their sides were pressed together and he could easily rest his head against Makoto's shoulder. Naturally Makoto's arm wrapped around his back to hold him tight, and the warmth that he always emitted shielded and protected Haruka from the cool night breeze.

Cuddled close together, they continued to sip their drinks in an amicable silence as they watched how the light danced on the surface of the pond. It reminded Haruka of the way the stars had reflected in the puddles of water on the rooftop of the rest house where they had been stranded at during their training camp back in high school. He looked up at the sky once more, and even though the stars weren't as clearly visible as they were back in Iwatobi, he knew that they were shining as brightly as always even if he couldn't see them.

Perhaps the bonds with his friends were just like stars; even if they were far apart or when dark clouds covered them up and hid them from sight, in his heart he knew they were always there and that when the darkness eventually dissipated, they would shine brightly once more.

So Haruka firmly believed that once they rekindled their friendship with Ikuya, those bonds would light up their hearts yet again like a sea of stars in the sky.

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 **A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Since this was written after episode 5 but before episode 6, I actually have no clue what Hiyori's motive is either so anyone who reads this in the future has more knowledge than I have at the time of posting, haha. Nevertheless, I'm very curious on what it is and I can't wait to see it!**

 **I don't usually write missing scenes like this, but if you liked this fic then maybe you'd like to check out my other MakoHaru fics as well!**

 **As always you can find me on Tumblr and Twitter DatHeetJoella for more MakoHaru content in-between fic updates.**

 **Once again, I hope you enjoyed! I hope to see you next time around as well and for now, I wish you a lovely day!**


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